The economy following 2020 gives a fascinating parallel to our inner world.
The initial fear regarding the COVID-19 pandemic destabilized the economy with significant dips. Similarly, we noticed mental health dips due to widespread distress of the unknown. We saw the initial pain subside with the government stimulus money pumped into the economy as people started spending money, releasing pleasure, and restoring a sense of normalcy that temporarily propped up the economy. Similarly, your defense mechanisms stepped in (defending against the reality of how vulnerable you, your family, and your company is) by supporting the illusion of control and feeding our sense of supremacy and power.
Like our internal adrenaline and dopamine, this stimulus money artificially supported the economy. It worked as an opioid that brought temporary relief. We saw the economy and mental health improvements as people self-medicated their stress with shopping, vacations, etc. However, both upward trends were short-lived since the issues in our economy and our inner world were left unresolved. And as a result of the excess spending of the stimulus money, the government will need to increase the tax burden to pay off the newly incurred deficit that added pressure on top of the government’s ongoing deficit. Similarly, many of us are so accustomed to living in chronic stress, worry, and anxiety to perform and be “on” for everyone that we, too, are internally in a deficit.
The body is miraculously adaptable.
Each system of your body keeps reserves meant to be used by that system only in the case of a short-term emergency, such as hours to a few days. And yet, during prolonged stress like in 2020, the body steals from these reserves to help you keep going at an intense rate without registering how scared, stressed, overwhelmed, and depleted you are. This adaptability response of borrowing from reserves to meet the crisis uses adrenaline to keep you on high alert. But adrenaline, much like stimulus money, is not maintainable.
The delayed onset of anxiety, depression, burnout, addiction, anger, and marital problems will become more prominent as the world returns to normal.
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The inner world has kept us going, and our reserves are depleted. We are accustomed to running in survival mode or the tyranny of the urgent, which is not sustainable and only turns off if addressed directly. As the initial crisis of 2020 begins to subside, the soul and body are starting to break down from every system being depleted and exhausted.
Eventually, the tax on the body and emptying of the reserves will catch up to us – even at the cellular level. We’ve gone into a deficit that adrenaline was initially able to mask, but without addressing the fundamental economic issues and the emotional toll of things like 2020 or, perhaps you went through a divorce, the loss of a loved one, or the stress of a child’s mental health, a betrayal, a traumatic event, or the burden of caring for aging parents. It is also interesting to note that all energy used, even if not perceived as stressful, still utilizes your reserves.
Using up our reserves on the immediate to-do list as leaders leaves us vulnerable to a weakened immune system and mental health issues like panic attacks, depression, and anger. When we don’t assess and replenish, we are naturally drawn to substance abuse, co-dependence/people-pleasing, emotional and physical affairs, porn, gambling, etc. We try to self-medicate the deficits and imbalances within the inner world through immediate gratification. The problem is, while immediate gratification releases pleasure – much like the stimulus money – it is not replenishing but rather putting your inner world into even more outstanding debt.
Many of us as leaders don’t know we are in burnout because our inner world has masked the symptoms for so long that we’ve become accustomed to living on caffeine and adrenaline. Like the indebted American economy, many people were already running on fumes before entering 2020.
Since 2020, we have adapted, rallied, and improved. Yet, when we do not address mental health at a proactive, intentional, societal level, distressing mental health symptoms will rapidly climb. Even if you do not “feel” stressed, it is wise to develop a replenishing lifestyle proactively. Regarding mental health, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. At Crawford Clinics, our therapists and coaches are ready to help you, your team, and your loved ones address mental health proactively so you can feel like yourself and optimally perform with plenty of reserves within your system. We specialize in helping you develop a proactive lifestyle that creates sustainability, healthy modeling for your team and loved ones, and fosters a healthy legacy.
Replenish your reserves and shift from constant adrenaline rushes to a consistent steadiness. Honor your experience, validate how far you've come, and give yourself a moment to breathe. Then, take responsibility and choose a lifestyle pace that's sustainable.
Now here are eleven ways you can implement a replenishing lifestyle:
Focus on what you can control (emotions/feelings/thoughts). Don’t let thoughts fly past your eyes and throw you into a loop of despair and tormenting anxiety. Examine the root of it, say it out loud, and question its validity. If there’s something to be done, you’ll discover it. Own it. It’s your brain! You get to decide what to dwell on. Release everything else.
Don’t take yourself so seriously. Laugh a little!
Be where your shoes are. Practicing presence is hard but worth the effort. This opens your mind to be grateful for what’s right in front of you.
Go outside. It doesn’t take a mastermind with a Ph.D. to tell you that the great outdoors works wonders to revive a weary soul.
Forgive yourself. Read that again, and repeat.
Ask for help. Often the burdens of life are too heavy to bear. Sometimes it takes an outsider's perspective to help us find alignment within our minds. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, connect with one of our therapists or coaches to take the next step toward healing.
Lead with kindness and compassion toward difficult people. The odds are they are doing their best with what they’ve been given, just as you are. The world doesn’t need help being discouraged, so encourage those who get under your skin.
Connect with others. Don’t suffer in silence. Invite someone into your experience. Create space in your heart (and schedule) to be around people who love and care about you.
Take a nap. Unlike most sci-fi films these days, the reality is we are humans. We are not robots. Humans need rest. Allow yourself to find your humanity and give yourself the grace to rest.
Move your body. Suppose you’re constantly living off of adrenaline. In that case, the first step to shifting into a more stabilized mode of operation is to eliminate said adrenaline. Cardiovascular movements like walking, running, cycling, kayaking, dancing, etc., for 30 min. will burn off the adrenaline in your body. Over time, you’ll start to feel the boost and rejuvenation that endorphins bring.
Stay consistent. The pyramids weren’t built in a day, nor were your habits. Changing how you think, live, and operate is not an overnight task. Give yourself enough time to find a rhythm with your new lifestyle meant to replenish you, and see how far you’ll go.
For more resources on leadership, head to our leadership consulting page. Dr. Shannan Crawford will launch a business e-course, and you can be the first to know with sneak peeks and freebies by signing up for our newsletter, today!